Fastening for ear-rings



unire sra'rs `GEORGE E. HIGGINS, OF SYRAGUSE, NFV YORK.

FASTENING FOR EAR-RINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,921, dated May 16,1854.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HIGGINS, of Syracuse,` in the county ofOnondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Ear-Rings; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, forming part of this specificat-io-n, inwhich- Figure l, is a side view of one of my improved ear-rings. Fig. 2,a back view of the same, and Fig. 3, is a section showing theconstruction of the catch, and the .method of attaching the drop. Fig.il, is a side view of the knob, and ear-wire of an ear-ring of thecommon kind, shown for the purpose of `more clearly explaining myimprovement.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, wherever theyare used inthe several figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a means of connecting the dropwith the knob, which shall be more simple in construction, more secure,and shall afford greater facility for its attachment and detachment, andfor the removal of the drop from the knob, while the latter is in theear, than the means at present in use.

In the ear-rings now in most common use, a ring is attached to the knobtoreceive a similar ring on the drop for the purpose of connecting thedrop with the knob, and there is another ring or catch on the knob forthe purpose of receiving the end of the ear wire, but my inventionconsists in attaching to the knob, a post or standard, which serves atthe `same time .to attach the drop and to receive and secure the end ofthe ear-wire, and gives facility for the removal of the drop from theknob, without taking the ear-wire from the ear.

. In Fig. 4, of the drawing, which explains the old ear-ring, a,represents the knob, having the ear-wire, Z), soldered to its upperpart; c, represents the catch which is soldered to the knob for thepurpose of receiving the end of the ear-wire, and d, the ring on whichthe drop is to be suspended.

In Figs: l, 2, and 3, which exhibit my improvement, the ear-wire, Z), issoldered to the knob, o, in the same way as before, but instead ofthecatch, o, and ring, 6l, there is the standard, A, which is soldered orotherwise secured to the lower part of the back side of the knob,extending from the lmob in a suitable direction to reeoive the ring, e,of the drop, and then upwards to receive the end of the ear-wire. Thestandard, A, is composed of an interior wire, f, of harder and moredurable metal than gold, cased in an exterior tube, g, o-f gold, orother precious metal, as shown in Fig. 3. The wire, f, only extends apart of the way up the standard, so as` to leave the upper part of thetube empty, and a slot, 7L, is cut in the upper, part of the tube on theside next the knob, in order that it may receive the end of theear-wire, in the manner represented in Figs. l, 2, and 3. I prefer toconstruct the stand- `ard in this manner, but it may be made in anyother way, provided the same form is preserved, and the upper part ishollow, or otherwise suitably formed to receive the end of the ear wire.The ear wire is removed from the tube by springing it out of the slot,and allowing it to pass out of the tube, and round one side thereof,when itwill assume the position represented in dotted outline in Fig. 3,in which position it may be readily inserted in, or removed from theear, and will allow the drop to be taken oif, or put on the standard,with facility, either while the ear wire is in, or out of the ear.

The facility which this improvement affords for the removal of the'dropwhile the ear ring is in wear, is of great importance, as it will savethe unpleasantness of removing the knob from the ear before retiring torest, or commencing any occupation during which the drop would be anencumbrance. 'Ihe common ear-ring affords no such facility for theremoval of the drop, as the ring, c, ought to be closed in order to makethe drop secure. The facility which the straight smooth` form of the endof the ear wire affords for its insertion in, and removal from, the ear,without giving pain, is

also important.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The standard, A, attached to the knob, and serving at the same time as ameans of connecting the dro-p, and as a catch to receive and secure theend of the ear-wire, substantially as described.

Y GEORGE E. HIGGINS. Vitnesses:

Si. H. WALES, JN0. W. HAMiLToN.

